Escape
by madkidd
Summary: After four years of imprisonment, Lucy escapes back to her hometown. Desperate to ignore those four, cruel years, Lucy tries to maintain a normal life, but her captor has other ideas. Trying to regain normality, she befriends a crazy, pinkheaded boy and his accepting friends. Will they figure out the shocking truth about Lucy and save her before its too late?
1. Chapter 1

_"Insanity is relative. It all depends on who has who locked in what cage"_

She gripped her bleeding side as she ran and gritted her teeth. Wearing a tattered, blood-stained, too big flannel and stained sweatpants, Lucy ran through an unknown forest, trying to find some sort of place to hide.

She could see the sun setting off into the distance as she ran. The forest was growing dark and she could see nothing but endless trees without their leaves.

It was cold.

She didn't know the exact date or the hour, but she definitely knew the season. The wind blew right through her but she could handle it. The tips of her fingers and toes felt like they didn't exist anymore but that was the least of her worries. Right now she needed to just run.

Being trapped in a basement for four years really does things to a person.

Lucy continued running, hearing distant growls and shouts behind her. 'Keep running, just keep running' she told herself while her body pleaded for rest. She knew she was weak; she didn't need to look at herself in the mirror to know how her body had been deteriorating for the past four years; she didn't need a mirror to know that her once pale skin was now black and blue; she didn't need a mirror to know how she looked like someone who crawled and clawed her way out of the ground.

Well actually, she hadn't really looked in a mirror for four years.

A gun shot brought her out of her mind and back into reality. She looked around the forest while pumping her legs faster than before. Lucy couldn't let him take her again. She had to escape, she just had to. She would not let him steal another year away from her. Not anymore. She had to do this on her own.

She was so desperate to escape that she ripped the flesh off from her wrist and parts of her hand just to slip the shackles from her hand. Lucy wouldn't suggest doing that. The sad piece of her flannel that she had ripped off that was covering her wrist was soaked in blood, but in all honesty, it felt numb. At this point while running, she had forgotten about her bleeding side, bruised body, foggy vision and just about anything that caused her pain.

She was numb.

Another gun shot was fired. This time, the sound seemed like it was coming from right behind her. A sound that seemed like a whimper escaped her at the thought of not being able to make it out alive.

She practically went insane living there. If she thought she was isolated before she went missing for four years, then that life... that was absolute hell. Though, she preferred the isolation for weeks on end over him coming down to see her. The first year down there was the hardest for her, but after that, her mind had shut off and her main goal was to just stay alive. Lucy knew something in her snapped a while ago. Clearly, you'd have to be mad to scratch and rip your own flesh off.

The darkness was what bothered her the most, though. Being out here now, she just wanted to cry out of happiness just by looking at the moonlight. It was so big and beautiful. Being deprived of it for years, she just wanted to lay down and watch it all night.

The next thing she knew, she flew out of the forest and onto a road, where she lay on her knees, gripping her wrist to her chest. Another few shots were fired but they seemed more distant than before.

Maybe he had given up. Maybe he was just too much of a coward to go out into the real world and get her back. Maybe he was tired of her and wants someone new.

Did she actually make it out?

Or maybe he knew exactly what he was doing, letting her go. Her escape seemed so easy and she was sure as hell that there was no way, in her state, that she could have outran him.

Laying there in the middle of the road, Lucy closed her eyes for a few moments and let herself breathe for the first time in many years.

When she reopened her eyes, it was dark. She picked herself up from the ground and looked at the long winding road in front of her. She had no idea where she was and if she was even in Magnolia, her hometown. She had been absent for four years from the world, locked away with nothing but her own, twisted mind.

Lucy, now at the age of sixteen, did not know where to go.

Lucy was smart though. She knew how to figure her way around. Hell, she managed to stay alive for four years while being tortured nearly every day. Finding her way was not an issue. It was just another bump in the road that she could manage.

For the next hour or so she walked down the unnamed road, trying to keep consciousness. Lucy knew the amount of blood loss was going to catch up to her eventually but she couldn't afford to stop. Lucy decided it'd be best to examen her body and make a list of all the things that would kill her if she didn't find help soon. Hey, at least this little game would keep her on edge, right?

First things first, her bleeding stomach. Yeah that definitely was going to kill her. The bastard managed to get her while she was escaping. She had managed to knock him out with a brick but it clearly didn't do much damage if he was already so close to catching her. Probably exhaustion would be the next thing to kill her, if that was even possible. For the past four years she was fed the bare minimum to keep breathing, not to stay healthy. Add in not being able to sleep for months on end and a weak body and you've got a recipe for death. Then, her next source of death could potentially be her skinless wrist. An infection could probably start up and knowing her luck she'd probably die from it. Those seemed to be her major issues.

Oh and if the man who kidnapped her four years ago managed to find her and just shoot her dead. That would probably be another reason why she'd die.

She started laughing to herself. She finally got out and here she was, probably going to die within the next few hours. After four years she saw trees and the moon and the stars and just about every nature thing she was deprived of. Before she could even talk, she was obsessed with constellations and stars. Not being to see the stars took a great toll on her.

While walking she saw a squirrel at one point. She saw a squirrel and now she was convinced she could die happy. She didn't realize how much she missed an owl hooting, or a squirrel scurrying up a tree. Yup, she could die happy.

Clearly, she wasn't good at humoring herself in times of distress.

And honestly, when it came down to it, she would rather die out in the open, with a squirrel, instead of dying in that place with him, standing over her, with nothing but lust and evil in his eyes.

Lucy's head started pounding and she was starting to get wobbly. She needed to find someone or something or anything. And fast.

Her heart then skipped a beat when she saw the upcoming gas station. She could literally say she was going to cry of happiness. And here she was about to pass out on the ground.

She quickened her pace in order to make sure she was at least able to enter the gas station. Her legs and feet were so numb. She only had on socks with holes in them to cover her feet, allowing her right big toe to peek out from the top.

The numbness, now seeping away, caused her to almost run into the gas station. The pain from her injuries... she could feel everything; every inch of her body ached and racked with sharp pain.

She got to the door and leaned on it for a second or two, gripping it like her life depended on it, to catch her breath. Her golden hair fell down past shoulders and stopping right under her chest, showing the ends stained with her blood. The blood staining her hands and clothes felt like dust and she rubbed it between her hands and watched it disappear.

The bitter cold stuck to her bones as she gritted her teeth. Picking herself up from the door, she pushed it open. Looking around the gas station, which seemed to be a small family business from the looks of how it was set up, she caught sight of the cashier and the man standing by the counter.

Wow, leave it to Lucy to examen a business as she's about to die. Though, she blames that on her worthless father.

She looked straight at the cashier, who looked terrified to see her and said two words before dropping to the ground and blacking out.

"Help me"

* * *

 **Hi everyone or anyone who has decided to stick through my awful writing and has now made it to my little authors note :P**

 **This is my first NaLu fic and I hope you guys enjoy! The beginning is a little rough, I struggled a bit writing this first chapter but ah c'est la vie. I was trying to add a bit of humor in here because I don't want it to be a serious through out the whole fic, I promise I'll try and humor you guys every now and then. Oh and sorry it's a little short... I just wanted a quick and good hook!**

 **Anyway, I really hope it's a good opener for my fic :) Thanks for reading. Oh and I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL. THAT'S ALL HIRO MASHIMA. THE REALLY BAD PLOt IS MINE THOUGH!**

 **Hope everyone has a nice day :)**

 **-Mad**


	2. Chapter 2

_"Well you can try to sink down deeply, and find the children lost at sea"_

It took her a while to open her eyes. Everything had been muffled.

She was only able to remember glimpses of being carried into an ambulance; someone covering her mouth with something plastic; the word breathe, repeated over and over.

The feeling of dying.

Opening her eyes, everything was blurry. There was a blinding light and the sound of beeping coming from somewhere to her left. Tubes and wires were hooked up to her and when she tried to move, a sharp pain erupted from her side, so she promptly laid back down and looked around the room.

Sitting to her left was a table with a pitcher of water, a cup, and some flowers. Lucy's eyes widened as she stared at the water.

Sputtering like a crazy woman, Lucy looked at the water in awe.

Was this _real_? The amount of water was astounding. She hadn't seen this much water sitting in front of her in so long and Lucy currently felt like an animal ready to pounce. She actually had drool dripping from the corners of her mouth.

She proceeded to sit up and ignore the pain erupting from just about everywhere. Propping herself up, she grabbed the pitcher and cup and promptly poured so much water that some of it spilled on her bed-sheets. She didn't care though.

Her hands actually began to shake and she felt like she was smiling like an idiot as she brought the cup close to her mouth, but she stopped.

 _'It's probably a trick.'_ the voice inside her head stopped her suddenly. _'He never lets you drink water this easy,'_ it continued.

Lucy brought the cup down onto her lap and she glared at her hands at it in disgust. What if this was all some trick and she didn't escape? What if her mind finally snapped and she just created a whole new world?

She put the cup back, fearing the voice was right.

Looking away from the water, she examined the room. It looked like a classic hospital. Monitors were hooked up to her and everything was white- bed sheets, gown, curtains, chairs. She looked to her right to find a window, which was letting sunlight into her room. She took in a sharp gasp and she realized where she was.

Magnolia hospital.

Lucy felt tears prickle her eyes. So she was in her hometown. Lucy let out a shaky breath and smiled. Kids played around the fountain outside, which had dolphins jumping toward one another, waiting to hear news about family members and friends. She knew exactly how they must feel. Lucy was one of those kids, at the age of eight, while waiting to hear about her mother.

She really hoped her mind wasn't making any of this up.

She turned away from the window, fearing any possibilities of thinking about her mother.

The door to her room suddenly opened and a tall, angry, old woman with pink hair and a red looking robe walked in alongside a short, old man with a smile plastered on his face. "So you're finally awake" he happily commented, taking the seat next to her bed.

"And a good thing too, you've been knocked out for almost two weeks" the lady grumbled, looking over a few charts and marking things down. "How are you feeling, brat" she breathed, looking up with nothing but bitterness in her eyes, causing Lucy to flinch and sink into her bed. Why was this woman so angry with her? She doesn't remember doing anything to her, at all. Hell, she hasn't even met her before.

"Are you going to answer me?" She angrily sneered glaring, only causing Lucy to look away and grip the bed sheets in fear. Whenever _he_ used that tone with her, it always followed with some sort of burst of anger and her crying in pain as he closed the entrance to where he kept her.

"Now, now Porlyusica. No need to be like that, she just woke up." the old man said, looking sternly at the said woman. She only sighed in response and turned toward Lucy.

"I'm sorry, I just hate seeing you young kids in here so much. I'm Porlyusica, your doctor. Now that you've woken up, how are your injuries feeling?" She asked, softer this time. The cold look never left, but Lucy could tell this woman was trying to coax Lucy into talking.

Lucy, opened her mouth and then proceeded to close it. She didn't know to react to seeing people. It'd been so long since she had actual interaction with people who were sane that she forgot how to talk.

No that wasn't right, she knew how to talk.

She just didn't know how to trust.

Realizing this, she gripped her sheets and looked the other way. How could she just trust these people? What if her mind made them up?

Shaking, she realized she was losing it. She was completely insane. Lucy just shot her eyes and hoped she'd wake up. _'Wake up, you're dreaming. Before he comes back, wake up'_ she pleaded with her body.

The woman made some sort of irritated sound and mumbled something about coming back later.

Lucy didn't open her eyes, now proceeding to pinch the skin on her arm. _"Wake up"_ Lucy mumbled to herself.

"I can assure you, you aren't dreaming." The man suddenly stated from beside her. Lucy opened her eyes instantly and looked at him. "If you don't mind me asking, whats your name?" He questioned. His voice made her want to tell him. The way he seemed to really care about what she had to say.

"L-Lucy," she stated, voice raspy. Her eyes trailed back to the water. If she wasn't dreaming...

The man seemed to follow her eyes because he then picked up the cup and placed it in her hands. His small hands felt warm and comforting. "Here," he offered, giving her one of the most genuine smiles she had ever seen. Mumbling a thanks she quickly downed the water within two sips. By the time she pulled the cup away from her mouth, he had the pitcher in his hands ready to pour her some water, which she gratefully accepted.

Mavis, water never tasted so good before.

"Well, Lucy, it's nice to meet you." He stated, putting her cup and the pitcher back onto the table. "My name is Makarov and I'm the principle over at Fairy Tail High. Porlyusica likes to call me in whenever she can't identify a person, in hopes I will. Specifically teenagers." He continued.

Lucy only watched him.

"But I don't think I know you," he finished, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

When she didn't respond, he decided to continue talking. "Do you know where you are Lucy, or what happened to you?" he asked, patiently. Lucy looked at him, mentally punching herself for letting her fear show at his last question. "Dear, do you have a home?" He asked softly as she turned to look out the window.

Why couldn't she just tell him? He seemed like he really wanted to help her, but her voice seemed lost. This was her first interaction with someone who genuinely wanted to help her in the past four years, and she was letting it slip through her fingers.

"You don't have to speak," he suddenly said. She jerked her head up and looked at him confused. "You've probably been through something traumatic and I don't want you to relive it. There are some apartments by the school, if you don't have a home. You can gladly rent one, and I'll let you settle and find a job before you have to do any payments. Oh and I'll be enrolling you into my school." He stated as if she had no other choice. She just continued to watch him in bewilderment.

He started to get up and turned around to smile at her. "I'm going to leave you my information. Please do not hesitate to come and talk to me. I'll have Porlyusica help you figure things out when she releases you from the hospital," and with that he turned around and left, leaving a card on the table.

Lucy sat there dumbfounded. Maybe she wasn't going crazy... Maybe she _could_ start over.

* * *

It was a few days after she woke up that she was released from the hospital. True to his word, Makarov set her up with an apartment and a quiet job to help her get started. He said that she didn't need to come to school right away, but he'd love it if she started soon.

The doctor had managed to get Lucy to talk about her injuries and she set her up with some medication to help with the pain. When Lucy confided that she was afraid she might no be able to sleep, she kindly helped Lucy to some sleep medication, which Lucy might not use, only because she didn't like taking pills. She also provided Lucy extra bandages and showed her how to change them every now and then. Porlyusica was also kind enough to give her some essentials, knowing Lucy was absolutely broke. She got some bathroom things and a few clothes. She had given her some money as well to get her standing on her feet. Despite the woman's hateful personality, she actually turned out to be quite nice.

She walked in to her new home and found it to be nice and cozy. It was high up in the building so the view from her window, which stretched from one end of the wall, to the other, showed her practically the entirety of Magnolia. It was just as crazy as she remembered it. Always full of life.

There was also a ledge protruding from the wall for her to sit on and watch the city at night. She liked that because it gave her the perfect opportunity to watch the stars at night. Thinking about watching the stars made Lucy's heart flutter a bit.

She took a walk around the apartment, finding a small but nice kitchen that faced what she presumed to be the living room. There was a couch and a table already set up for her, with a few blankets on the couch.

Lucy walked deeper into the apartment to find a bedroom and a bathroom. The bedroom had a small bed in the corner, a closet, and a dresser. It wasn't a massive room, but it wasn't small and Lucy found it to her liking.

She went back out into the living room and proceeded to lock the door and make sure all the windows in the apartment were sealed shut. It made her feel safer that way.

Finally entering the bathroom, her breath hitched and she flinched away as she looked in the mirror. This was the first time she had seen herself in years.

She was in her same tattered clothes that she had escaped in, mainly because she hadn't showered in so long- four years long- and she didn't want to get the new clothes dirty. Her skin was pale, and Lucy had bags under her sunken eyes. Yellow bruises outlined parts of her jaw and she had a bandages on her cheek and around her head. Her hair, which was filthy with blood and dirt reached her mid back.

She started to peel off her clothes and she stared at her frail body.

She was skinny. She could see her ribs and her side had a giant bandage to cover the many stitches that lined her side. Her upper right arm had also been bandaged along with her wrist, which she was told to keep covered at all costs.

There were bruises. Everywhere. Some looked fresh and others looked old. And when she turned around to stare at her back, she let out a pained gasp. There were scars all over her back, which she presumed to be whip marks. There were a lot of them. There were also a lot of times in which Lucy fought back. It looked as though some sort of animal had left long scratch marks on her.

Unable to look at herself any longer, she turned away from the mirror and began ripping the bandages off so she could start her shower. Lucy had begun shaking with anger, but mostly out of fear. Yet she refused to cry. She just wanted to move on. Letting herself cry would just be letting him win. No point in dwelling on something she can't fix.

Jumping in the shower, Lucy basked in the warmth and let the water wash away all the blood and dirt from her body. Using the shampoo and soap that was given to her, she began washing her body. She scrubbed every inch of herself, twice, and washed her hair a good three times. Letting her hair slip through her fingers, she marveled at how shiny it was compared to before. The blonde color of her hair actually shined unlike before when there was so much dirt and blood caked onto it.

Feeling a bit light headed, she decided to just sit in the shower and let the hot water hit her for a bit, before leaving the warm bath.

Resting her head on her knees and hugging them close, she stared at nothing in particular. Her mind flickered to images of her father.

What was he doing right now? Did he ever look for her when she went missing or did he continue to run the company like nothing ever happened?

 _'He probably didn't look for you'_ the voice suddenly said. _'You know he didn't.'_

Lucy didn't even flinch at these words. She knew it was true. Her father kept her a secret from the world, homeschooling her and creating a prodigy for when someone needed to take over for the company. The only good thing about being locked away in that giant house was she advanced in her schooling and by the time she was twelve, she was studying college material.

Makes up for the lost time.

Turning the shower off, she got up and dried herself off with a towel.

Lucy walked into her room where she had placed the few clothes Porlyusica had given her along with the bandages.

Finishing the last of her bandages, she placed a small one over the cut on her cheek and went to go put her clothes on. A pair of black leggings and a large white shirt was what she ended up with along with some pretty nice fuzzy socks.

Walking out into the living room, she grabbed a blanket off the couch and wrapped herself up before sitting on the ledge. She leaned her back against the wall and smiled.

The stars were bright tonight.

* * *

 **Ack hello! I wanted to update ASAP! Wow okay first of all, I already have followers, which is something I sure did not expect for at least a couple more chapters so thank you thank you thank you to everyone who read and enjoyed my first chapter :) you guys rock.**

 **As for Csenge: ;-; t-thank you :3 I promise not to keep you waiting too long for chapters!**

 **Anyway I don't know what to say :o OH but the quote at the top of the chapter is from Daughters song/ lifeforms.**

 **Anyway I hope everyone has a MARVELOUS day!**

 **Edit: Yikes something happened when I uploaded this chapter, so sorry if it was deleted too many times or something xD**

 **-Mad**


	3. Chapter 3

_"Somethings trying to get out. And it's never been closer."_

 _"P-Please just l-let m-me go" Lucy whimpered, trying to pry the shackles from her wrist. She couldn't see well and she was starting to loose feeling in her hand. The shackle was too tight and Lucy felt suffocated. Her breathing was quick and it felt like there was something keeping her from remembering how to breathe._

 _Her head was pounding and she was sure it was bleeding from somewhere. Something sticky had settled itself on her face._

 _"Struggling like that won't help," a voice commented from somewhere in front of her. Lucy only let out a choked sob in response and tried to back up into the wall. How did she even get here? Just a few minutes ago she was at the park, reading._

 _"W-where am I?" Lucy asked, desperate to know what was going on. Her eyes darted around the room trying to find some sort of exit. She was still fighting with the shackles. When she received no reply, she asked again. Only silence followed._

 _Lucy whimpered. She felt so helpless. Her chest was tight and something along the lines of fear had settled in her._

 _Again, she tried with the shackles, now pulling at the chain. "Help" she said, quietly. Her voice cracked and she started screaming now. "Somebody, please" she continued, banging on the walls._

 _Why did she leave? Why did she sneak out? She should have just stayed in the house. All she wanted to do was read in the park. It was the first time she left the house grounds in years._

 _An amused laugh sounded from the other side of the room. "Oh, I'm going to have fun with you."_

 _Lucy's breathing stopped. She was shaking now._

 _Someone was standing in front of her. When they knelt down, her eyes widened in horror._

 _Inching closer to her was a face covered by a white mask. A smile stretched across the face and there was no nose, just holes. A pair of black, empty eyes stared at her._

 _Frozen in fear, she watched as his hand stretched out and touched her face._

* * *

"Lucy?"

From her place on the floor, Lucy looked up to see her worried coworker and friend, Levy. Blinking a few times, Lucy finally registered where she was.

She was at work.

Levy was a small girl with blue hair and beautiful Hazel eyes. She was the same age as Lucy and loved pretty much the same things, or thing, as Lucy. Reading.

Books were scattered around her body as she sat in front of a empty bookshelf near the front of the store. It had been a week since she started her new job and Lucy was quite happy with it. She got to be around one of the only things she loves; books. And she wasn't gonna lie... the pay was pretty great.

Not a lot of people came by and the shop was tucked away on a short street with other quiet businesses. The only times when there was any real noise was when some of Levy's friends from school came by, though, Lucy always hid in the back when they did.

"Lu? Are you alright?" Levy asked once more, this time sitting next to her. Levy reached out to touch her shoulder but Lucy impulsively flinched away from her hand, instantly regretting it. Levy pulled her hand back and Lucy felt guilty. She didn't mean to flinch but...

"O-Oh I'm sorry Lu! I didn-" she began but Lucy cut her off by laughing a bit.

"Nah Levy don't worry about me. I'm okay. Sorry I've just been out of it lately is all" she smiled.

 _'You know you're not'_ a voice laughed from her left. Looking towards the voice, she saw a shadow sitting on one of the book shelves. It had been a while since the voice showed his body, but looks like he got tired of hiding in her mind. The shadow outlined that of a person, but had no physical features whatsoever. She thought that once she left that terrible place, it'd vanish, but the voice had other ideas. Lucy only smirked at it.

She first met him in her second year down there. At first she resented him and practically beat herself up trying to wish him away, but then he turned out to be the only company she had.

Granted, her mind probably made him up as a last resort to saving her sanity, but she didn't care.

Looking away, she begun to clean up the mess she made, but Levy stayed.

"Hey Lucy? When do you plan on coming to school?" She suddenly asked, causing Lucy to fumble with the books in her hands. She choked on her spit at that and started coughing. Damn her awkwardness. "I really want you to meet my friends, I think you'd really like them" she continued.

Lucy only sighed.

"Please Lucy, it'd be so much fun if you started coming. I know you're still settling in from your move, but... please?" Levy begged.

The voice snorted. _'Settling in?'_

Lucy ignored him.

Lucy looked over at Levy, who was giving her the biggest puppy eyes she'd ever seen. Lucy dropped her head in defeat. "I'll come starting Monday, sound good?" Lucy said, finishing up with the books on the floor. Lucy silently cursed herself as she realized it was Friday.

Suddenly being tackled into a hug, Levy started thanking her. Lucy only flinched and didn't move her hands to return the hug. She stared wide eyed at the wall behind Levy, unaware of what to do. She balled her hands and shut her eyes. She tried to stay calm, but her body began to ignore her mind.

Levy, however, didn't notice. She quickly got up though, and left Lucy to finishing her work. Lucy sat there for a few moments longer before she was able to open her eyes. No matter how hard she tried, anytime anyone touched her, her body freaked out.

 _'You're going crazy you know'_ the voice suddenly said, appearing to be sitting on the bookshelf she was working on.

"And you're beginning to annoy me" she mumbled, returning her attention back to her work and putting the last book on the shelf before getting up.

 _'You can't even go a day without blacking out and having one of those flashbacks.'_ Now he was standing against the bookshelf to her left.

"I'm fine" she continued, walking towards the break room to grab her things.

Waving goodbye to Levy, she walked out into the cold night air. Lucy had been wearing sweatshirts and leggings when she left the house so she could cover up her bandages and bruises. The last thing she needed was someone asking her what happened. The last thing she needed was for Levy to worry about her.

Levy was too kind to Lucy. She instantly accepted Lucy the minute they met. Levy had been patient with Lucy as she adjusted, and slowly over the week, they began talking more. She could tell Levy knew something was up with Lucy, but she was too afraid to ask.

 _'Maybe if you told someone, things would get easier'_ it said from where it was leaning against the wall up ahead.

"No thanks" Lucy responded, passing it by.

 _'You need to tell someone. If not to help you, then for your safety. He could sti-'_ but she cut him off.

"It's over. I'm moving on. I've escaped." Lucy firmly stated, but it seemed like she was trying to convince herself more than her shadowy friend.

She continued the rest of her walk home in silence.

* * *

Lucy's eye twitched as she stared at the large high school. Makarov had sent her her uniform a while ago along with supplies she'd need so she really didn't need to prepare for Monday.

She would've turned around if it weren't for Levy seeing her and racing to greet her.

"Eep! This is so exciting, Lu!" Levy cheered as she rushed her into the school.

"Y-yeah," was all Lucy could say as she awkwardly tried to follow the blunette.

Turned out, Lucy had her first class with Levy, along with Lunch and another class Lucy couldn't remember.

Over the phone, Makarov had told her it would be easy finding her way around and when he found out about Lucy's advanced education, he put her into the classes of her choice. Lucy wasn't too excited about being around too many people and he told her that if she needed a quiet place, his office or the library would be the best. He also informed her that her teachers would know about her situation and that if she needed to leave her classes, she could do so.

Grateful for his kindness, Lucy thanked him and hung up the phone.

Now looking at it all, she wished she never called him.

"I can't wait for you to meet everyone, they're going to love you I promise!" Levy told her as they walked into their first period.

The class was already rowdy. Everyone was on top of desks and laughing with one another. Instinctively, Lucy saw an empty seat in the back of the classroom and managed to slip away from Levy and take a seat.

Her nerves were skyrocketing. Her hands kept shaking as she looked at everyone. And it was so loud.

Everyone was wearing the same, navy and teal uniform with gold trimmings. Girls had skirts and boys had pants while everyone had the same uniform jacket and teal undershirt. Of course, everyone had their jackets off, while Lucy kept hers on.

She didn't need anyone staring at her and her bruises.

Lucy felt overwhelmed. It was her first time in a classroom and she could already see some people looking at her. 'I should just go' she thought and began to pick up the things she just put down.

"Lu! Stop hiding geez," Levy suddenly said from beside her. "Follow me real quick, there's a couple of-" but she was cut off.

"Alright class take your seats, you don't want me to call Erza in here" the teacher said while walking into the class. Almost immediately everyone took their seats after hearing the name Erza.

The man had dark blue hair and black eyes. He was wearing a long white trench coat with blue trimmings and regular clothes underneath. "Today we're joined by a new student," he continued looking at Lucy. "Would you like to introduce yourself?" he finished. Behind him on the chalkboard was written, 'Mr. Conbolt'.

All eyes landed on her and she suddenly felt nauseous. Gulping, she slowly stood up. She could hear some whispers along with some odd looks.

 _'Your name, you bimbo'_ the voice said, standing behind the teacher.

"H-hi," Lucy began, while her eyes darted around the floor. "I-I'm Lucy," and with that she sat down.

She heard a few people mumble 'hellos' and then the teacher took things from there.

"Alright class, today we'll be starting a new unit" He began, but Lucy was too busy trying to calm her nerves down. She couldn't find the source of her anxiety and all she could do was look around the room.

Majority of the students started paying attention to the teacher, but there were other students that still had their eyes fixed on Lucy.

Levy was whispering to a pink haired boy, while a raven haired boy was listening in. The raven haired boy was staring at Levy, but the pinkette had his eyes fixed on Lucy. Every now and then he would nod to Levy but his eyes never left Lucy, adding to her anxiety.

She decided to just look away from him and stare out the window.

Lucy wishes she hadn't.

 _'I told you to tell someone'_ the shadow chastised.

Eyes widening in horror, she watched her captor stare at her through the window. He wore the same mask as he did whenever he came down to see her. Not once did she ever see his face, but the way he stood and the clothes were the exact same as she'd remembered them.

Lucy couldn't breathe. She couldn't hear the teacher anymore and her knuckles were going white.

He just stood there, hands in his pockets. She could see blood on his jacket, most likely hers.

She didn't hear the bell ring and she surely didn't hear Levy calling her name, until she felt hands shake her.

"Lu, you okay?" Levy softly asked, leaning down next to her. Lucy turned to her.

"L-Levy, do, do you see that m-man?" Lucy's voice shook, turning to look at Levy. Levy's eyes traveled to the window.

"Lu, there's no one there" Levy replied, worriedly looking at Lucy. Her two friends were now behind her staring outside the window.

Lucy quickly got up and ran to the window and sure enough, there was no one there.

She put her hand against her forehead as she heard the voice whistle next to them. _"I'm not crazy"_ she mumbled low enough for only her ears to hear.

"Hey are you okay?" someone suddenly said. She turned around and met the worried eyes of the pinkette and for some reason, his concern calmed her down a bit.

Suddenly the three people were joined by more. There was a girl with beautiful red hair and a taller blunette. There was also a boy with blue hair and a red tattoo around his eye. Another boy with long black hair also appeared next to them.

They all looked at her with worried expressions.

Blinking, she started laughing a bit. "Y-yeah, sorry I'm just out of it I guess," she stated while scratching the back of her head.

This seemed to calm everyone down as they all started giving her smiles, but the pink haired boy continued to look at her with a concerned look.

"Lu, these are my friends! They've come into the book store a few times, but I think you were in the back" Levy stated, breaking the tension between everyone.

"Yo I'm Gray" The raven haired boy said, waving his hand and giving her a smirk. He had deep blue eyes and his spiky, raven hair covered parts of his face.

"Hello, I'm Erza. It's nice to meet you. Levy's said some good things about you." The girl with beautiful red hair said. 'So this is the girl the teacher talked about' Lucy thought. She seemed so nice.

"Gajeel" a rough voice said from behind Levy.

"Hi I'm Juvia!" The other blunette said cheerfully. Lucy also admired how beautiful she was.

"I'm Jellal, it's nice to meet you" The boy with the tattoo introduced.

"And I'm Natsu" the pinkette finally spoke up, giving her one of the most genuine smiles she'd ever seen. He reached out his hand and she cautiously took it. He had a firm grasp and his hand was warm and calloused and she suddenly felt herself blushing.

Lucy gave a small smile, "It's really nice to meet all of you, I'm L-Lucy" she said, cursing herself for stuttering a bit.

"Lucy, a word of advice, flamebrain here is a total loser." Gray said, smirking at Natsu.

"WHAT NO I'M NOT. SHUT YA TRAP EXHIBITIONIST" Natsu retaliated, holding up a fist. Lucy's eyes only widened as she watched the two boys attempt to fight each other.

"I promise to _lynch_ you both if you don't stop it this instant" Erza said quietly, glaring them both.

Lucy now understood why everyone sat down so quickly.

"A-Aye.." they both said, deflating instantly.

"Lucy should sit with us at lunch" Juvia said happily from beside Gray. She was clinging on to his arm but Gray didn't seem to really care.

"O-Oh, I d-don't know, I th-though I'd sit in the library," Lucy confessed. She wanted to catch up on some reading and in all honesty, she wanted to be alone.

"What? No Lu, you gotta sit with us!" Levy pleaded, grabbing her arm. This caused Lucy to flinch a bit, but she didn't pull away.

"Ah, okay. I'll see" Lucy hesitated, while the bell rang, indicating that they were all late. She quickly pulled away from Levy, muttering a goodbye and walked away, trying to get away from the crowd.

She frowned to herself. They all seemed so nice and genuine and Lucy... well Lucy was Lucy.

A broken cause.

She didn't want to burden them.

 _'They seem like great people'_ the voice said from inside her head. She only nodded in response.

Before she knew it, it was lunchtime. Her classes went by so quickly and she didn't really have to say anything because the teachers introduced her, for her. She had Gajeel and Gray in her math class, and they told her to sit next to them, to which she did.

They sat on either side of her and they didn't really talk much. Lucy felt a little awkward the whole time, but at the same time she felt a little happy. Their presence in that class helped ease some of her fear while the teacher introduced her.

She didn't know them, but she still liked having them there.

In her chemistry class, she had Natsu. He smiled at her and bounded over to the seat next to her. He didn't really say much, because the teacher threatened him with detention if he talked today in class, but for some reason out of everyone Levy introduced her to, she liked Natsu the most.

Not that everyone else was bad or something, they were all amazing people to talk to. It's just that Natsu... Natsu made her feel _safe_.

She didn't know why, but this feeling, made her feel secure. Like she could close her eyes for a few moments and everything would be okay.

So now that it was lunchtime, Lucy decided she wanted to go to the library.

She still felt like she didn't belong.

So now she sat, reading her book. Although Lucy couldn't really focus.

Her mind kept floating back to the man outside the window. There was no way Lucy imagined any of it. He looked so real. Everything down to the mud on the shoes was exactly how she remembered him last. And it scared Lucy.

What if the voice was right- what if it wasn't over?

Instinctively, she hugged herself, unaware of what to do.

 _'I'm always right'_ the voice said from the seat across from her. She only glared in response.

"Mavis- Natsu you're so LOUD." She heard from across the library, snapping her back into reality.

"Me? LOUD?" Natsu shouted in response.

"Ugh, both of you can it." A voice grunted, most likely Gajeel's.

Peering from spot in the corner of the Library, Lucy spotted the three boys and the rest of their group. Her eyes widened as she watched Natsu see her and race towards her.

"Yo, Lucy!" He said smiling down at her. She only responded with a confused look. "We've come to keep you company!" He happily stated, pulling the chair across from her and sitting down. Instantly, her shadowy friend disappeared and reappeared next to her.

 _'Tch'_ it breathed out.

"O-Oh you guys didn-" she began but Gray cut her off.

"Yeah, we did," he stated while pulling up a chair. Everyone seemed to be doing the same and taking out their lunches. They began talking as if things were normal and they all seemed to accept Lucy right away.

Feeling her eyes prickle with tears, she buried her face in her book, smiling to herself a bit.

She was probably just imagining the man outside the window after all.

* * *

Sitting on her little ledge with a cup of tea, Lucy watched the city of Magnolia. There weren't many stars out tonight, because of the clouds and rain, but Lucy enjoyed listening to it hit her window.

Lucy shivered a bit and pulled her blanket close. The lights were turned off in her apartment. She preferred sitting in the dark when she watched the city.

It was three in the morning and Lucy found herself unable to sleep. It was a reoccurring thing, to not be able to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes for too long the nightmares would come. Especially after yesterday's events.

She came to the conclusion that she most likely imagined everything but when it came down to it, she didn't really know.

 _'You've escaped, huh,'_ it suddenly said from the opposite side of the ledge. Lucy only stared in response, resting her head against the window.

* * *

 **Oh wow, this was a long chapter...**

 **HELLO FRIENDS :) I hope everyone had a great day! I wanted to upload this ASAP and I spent so long finishing it up :P**

 **Anyway, ah thank you everyone who has been reading so far. I'm sorry if things are confusing or whatever or if my writing is terrible (probably..) but anyway I hop you all enjoy!**

 ** _Toastedweirdbrain:_** **Ah thank you very much!  
**

 ** _Alexa:_** **It's real life setting, but later on I'm going to match their personalities to their real characters. I think right now Lucy's the only one who isn't like the real Lucy... but that'll change :D**

 **Anyway thank you again everyone!**

 **-Mad**


	4. Chapter 4

_"Burned out flames should never reignite"_

Lucy woke with a jolt, falling to the ground.

Her clothes were soaked with sweat and she was breathing hard. Shutting her eyes, she gripped her chest and stayed on the floor for a few moments.

She hated nightmares.

Usually she never dreamt when she slept, but lately all her mind could conjure up was memories from her life with him.

Looking around she registered that she fell asleep on her ledge. Noticing the sun coming up, she quickly glanced at the clock above her couch. She had two hours until she had to go to school. Grateful she woke up with extra time, she got up and went into the bathroom.

Turning on the lights, she cringed at the sight of her current state. Her hair was matted to her forehead by sweat and she looked ghostly. Her eyes had serious bags under them and her skin was glistening with sweat.

 _'Man, you look like a mess'_ her shadow friend stated. She looked at him through the mirror and only rolled her eyes in response.

"What're you talking about, I look like a queen" she mocked.

Quickly stripping herself from her clothes and removing her bandages, she hopped into the shower and basked in it's warmth. She still never got over how good a shower felt.

She let the hot water hit the scars on her back as well as the rest of her injuries. It always made her feel better when she washed them.

Leaning her head against the shower wall, she looked down at her wrist. The flesh was growing back weirdly because of how much she managed to tear off. It was a pinkish color and it reached from the middle of her wrist, to parts of her palm. It went all the way around to the front of her wrist and parts of her hand as well. Realizing that it would probably look weird for the rest of her life, she sighed and turned off the shower.

She was going to have many scars that lasted for ever.

Grabbing her towel, she wrapped herself up and jumped into her room to get ready for school. Other than her awkwardness she was able to make it through the first day alright. She came to the conclusion that it really was her mind that made _him_ up. She blamed it on her lack of sleep.

Today, she hoped, would be better. She would actually try to interact with her new friends. She really enjoyed having them sit with her and they made her smile.

Tossing the towel on her closet door to dry, she grabbed a pair of under garments and pulled out her uniform and a fresh pair of leggings. The girls didn't wear leggings with their uniforms, but considering how gruesome her legs looked at the moment, she decided it'd be best not to have people staring at her.

Lucy decided to let her hair dry for a bit before putting it in a side braid. It had gotten really long and she enjoyed putting it in a braid because it made it easier to manage. It didn't get in her way as much when she was at work or doing other things.

Before putting on the rest of her clothes, she grabbed a few bandages to reapply onto her body.

She started with her stomach, mainly because that was her biggest wound with the most stitches. Occasionally it would hurt, but the pain killers did wonders in preventing it from really irritating her. Lucy managed to deal with the small bursts of pain lately, but not searing pain that came from time to time.

Finishing up her stomach she went to her upper arm, just below her shoulder. She had a nasty cut there that would most likely leave a scar. It was getting smaller, but every now and then she'd shiver while looking at it. Lucy couldn't exactly remember how she managed to get that injury, but like a lot of her other ones through out her years down there, she'd been knocked out a lot of times.

Then she went to wrist and quickly wrapped it up. It didn't really need any bandages at this point, but because the flesh growing back was still fresh, accidentally hurting it would not be the best idea. A few days ago she'd accidentally bumped her wrist into the edge of the counter and her little friend made sure to laugh the entire time Lucy moaned in pain.

Deciding that the cut on her cheek didn't need a bandage anymore, she quickly put all her medical things away and finished getting dressed.

Putting her hair in a quick braid after letting it dry for a bit, she grabbed her bag and left her house.

Walking down the street, she realized it was a little chilly, but it didn't bother her much because the school was only five minutes away from where lived.

Lucy had left a little early but she was alright with that. It would give her time to sit in the class and read in quiet. She wasn't able to in the library but she didn't mind that. But she was a little grumpy about not being able to read at home. She ended up having a lot of school work.

The work wasn't hard considering she'd done it all before, it was just that there was so much and by the time she finished she just wanted to watch the stars.

Before she knew it she was entering her class and zooming her way to the corner seat in the back of the class. She realized sitting there, drew the attention away from her and she liked that.

Pulling out her newest read, 13 Reasons Why, she sat cross legged in her desk and began to read.

She wasn't very far in the book but she absolutely loved it. Levy had suggested it and she instantly 'borrowed' it from the book store. Technically, her boss didn't know, but Levy said it would be fine to do.

Lucy graciously helped herself to quite a few books, including a few manga's. Lucy was never interested in manga or anime before she started working there, but Levy said there were actually quite a few amazing story lines and Lucy agreed.

Lucy didn't realize that the students began piling into the room. She was so engrossed into the book, she didn't hear Natsu, Levy, and Gray sit down around her.

"Hehehe, I'm getting her obsessed with these books" Levy stated from beside Lucy as she watched her read.

Lucy finally registered everyone around her when Gray was about to poke her cheek. Lucy managed to back up a bit before he was able to and she gave him a weird look, to which he returned as well.

They eventually smiled at each other.

They were all dressed in their uniforms, except Natsu and Gray didn't have their ties on them. Lucy didn't know how she didn't notice before but Natsu was wearing a scarf. It was a scaly white scarf that looked a little tattered and old. She never really liked scarves in her opinion, but looking at Natsu now, she realized how good it looked on him.

Gray on the other hand had on a silver necklace that resembled that of a sword, but it was slightly covered by his shirt, so she couldn't see it very well.

"When did everyone get here?" Lucy innocently asked, looking around the room. Looking around she saw everyone was here and it was actually quite noisy in the room.

"Around five minutes ago" Natsu chuckled form his seat behind her. "You should've seen your face, it was all scrunched up and funny looking" he laughed innocently. Lucy could feel her face heat up as he said that and quickly looked the other way, feeling embarrassed.

"Don't listen to him, he's cra-" Gray started but was cut off by a meowing sound.

"Oh Mavis, please tell me you didn't." Levy suddenly whispered, looking down at Natsu's backpack.

Lucy whirled around to see Natsu pulling a blue cat out of his backpack and placing him on the desk.

"You know what happened the last time you did that, ash for brains." Gray stated, while reaching over and petting the cat. Natsu immediately swatted Gray away.

"If you're going to insult me, then you can't pet Happy." He simple stated, cuddling the cat.

Lucy stared in bewilderment as everyone in the room seemed fine with what was going on.

"You better not let some of your teachers see you. Mr. Conbolt and Makarov don't care but the rest of the school sure as hell do." Levy simply stated while pulling out her notebook.

Suddenly, the cat looked at Lucy and stared at her for a moment. It then leaped out of Natsu's clutch and pranced over Lucy, hopping into her lap.

"No way," Gray breathed watching the cat purr in her lap.

"Aw Happy likes you!" Natsu said while suddenly grinning like a three year old boy. Lucy came to the conclusion that she liked Natsu's smile and she didn't really understand why.

"Wow, he's never done that before," Levy inquired while reaching over the pet Happy.

Lucy only gave a small smile as she began to scratch Happy behind the ears. This seemed to make him happy as he purred more and rubbed his head against her stomach.

"Why's he blue?" She suddenly asked, looking up to see Natsu smiling at her.

"Uh, lets just say I lost a bet with someone..." Natsu nervously said, scratching the back of his head. "Happy wouldn't come near me for weeks after that," he mumbled quietly to himself.

Lucy only giggled in response.

"Alright class, lets get ready. Surprise, surprise we have a pop quiz!" Mr. Conbolt suddenly said while entering the room. The class erupted in groans and Natsu immediately tried to sneak out of the class along with Gray, but Levy pulled them back, shaking her head and mouthing 'Erza'.

Happy let out a meow and the teacher's head snapped up and stared at Natsu.

 _"You did not,"_ he stated, pinching his nose and letting out a sigh.

"This is the last time I PROMISE," Natsu said while standing up, as if ready to fight anyone who was going to take his cat away.

"My mouth is shut," he simply stated, while winking at Natsu. Natsu let out a whoop and sat back in his seat. "Alright get ready, it's on last nights homework, so if you did it you're fine, if not then all I can say is, not my fault" he finished while passing out the quizzes.

When he came to Lucy's desk he hesitated and asked, "Do you want to take this? You don't have to since it's only your second day"

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine!" She happily said while take the quiz from his hands. Lucy really didn't mind quizzes and tests. Her tutor used to give them to her almost every day so she was fine with this.

 _'You should at least tell the cat what's going on in your life. Maybe then, you could sleep at night.'_ The voice mumbled from within her head.

"I'm fine," she whispered.

"Alright, class you have the entire class period. Begin"

Lucy flew through it quite quickly actually and managed to have thirty minutes to read. This pleased Lucy as she pulled out her book and began to read again.

This however only lasted a few moments before Makarov appeared in the doorway.

"Macao, mind if I steal Lucy for a moment?" Makarov asked, waving Lucy over.

Everyone looked at her as she slowly got up and made her way to the door. Makarov seemed happy to see her and he signaled for Mr. Conbolt to close the door.

"Err, a-am I in any t-trouble?" Lucy hesitantly asked while following Makarov to wherever he was leading her.

"Oh, no no. Not at all," he began. "Porlylusica just wanted to check up on you, considering you're still injured and all. This was her only free time."

"Oh," was all Lucy could reply.

Walking into Makarov's office, she saw Porlyusica standing by his desk playing around with some of her equipment. When she spotted Lucy she immediately grabbed her stethoscope and chart and pointed for Lucy to sit on the edge of the desk, back facing the door. Makarov had left them alone to some privacy, closing the door on his way out.

"Sit," she said and Lucy, not wanting to anger the woman anymore than she already was. "How're you feeling now that you've been by yourself these past two weeks?" She asked.

"F-Fine" she simply stated.

"Take off your shirt so I can look at your wounds," She mumbled while writing down some things after taking her pulse.

Lucy did as she was told, unbuttoning her jacket and taking off her shirt. She was hoping that Porlyusica wouldn't ask her to take off her bra and sighed in relief when she continued with her work without asking.

Suddenly feeling cold hands trace the scars on her back, she went still, tensing up.

"Do these bother you at all?" She mumbled while poking and touching each whip mark that went down her back.

"N-No," she whispered, gripping her hands together. She was grateful Porylusica didn't ask her _where_ she got her scars from.

"Oh, good" was all she said before moving on to her arms and front side. Lucy kept her shirt off for Porlyusica to examen her stomach and arms. "Have you been eating? You look sickly." She blanched and Lucy only stared at her, blinking a few times.

"W-Well, n-not as m-much but lately I-I have," she answered while silently cursing her stutter.

"Well, you need to ea-"

She wasn't able to finish her sentence because the door suddenly burst open and Lucy stilled, eyes widening as she stared at the wall in front of her, back completely exposed.

"Hey Lucy? You left your stuff in the room and I just... Lu-cy?" She heard Natsu's voice crack as he said her name the second time and it made Lucy cringe.

She could feel Natsu's eyes burn into her back. Lucy didn't turn around and only gripped the edge of her skirt to prevent tears from spilling. Lucy didn't want anyone to see her, not like this. Not while she was so vulnerable.

There were a few moments of silence and Lucy just wanted it to end. She wanted him to just call her a freak already and be on his way. Because that's what she looked like.

A broken case.

"Natsu. _Get. Out._ " Porylusica said with every word louder than the last. She bounded over to him and mumbled something about knocking on doors and slammed the door in his face.

Lucy started hyperventilating. It was one thing to let her doctor see her in this state but for people she barely knew? Lucy gripped her chest and shut her eyes. She couldn't stop whatever it was that was happening to her and she couldn't even remember when it began. _'Where am I'_ she thought. _'What time is it?' 'What is happening to me?'_

 _'You're having a panic attack'_ the voice answered.

And then her brain stopped functioning.

A hand suddenly rested on her should. "Lucy, just breathe. You're fine." A voice soothed.

Lucy tried to slow her breathing but for some reason she couldn't. It just kept getting worse and worse.

"Lucy. For Mavis' sake open your eyes and breathe," it continued.

 _'You're going to end up dead if you don't tell someone soon.'_ Her shadow friend mumbled from somewhere to her left.

Lucy wasn't able to respond because suddenly she felt herself falling and before she knew it, she blacked out.

* * *

When Lucy woke up, she found herself on the couch in Makarov's room with a blanket covering her. Slowly getting up, she rubbed her eyes and looked around the room.

She was wearing her uniform again and she looked up to see Makarov sitting in his desk, writing some papers.

"Oh good, you're awake" he breathed out in relief, leaning back in his chair to look at her. She only stared at her hands in response. "You gave us quite the scare back there," he continued, jumping down from his chair to walk towards her and give her some water. She gratefully took it.

"U-Um, w-what t-time is-is it?" Lucy choked out after finishing her water.

"Err, it's around 11:30, your lunch period is about to start" Makarov informed her after checking his watch. "You don't have to go back to class, Lucy."

"N-No, I'd r-rather g-go," she cut him off, while picking up her things. Moving past that experience, she thought, would be better for her. Dwelling on it wasn't going to fix anything. What happened, happened.

"Thank you, Makarov," she said before opening the door and closing it behind her.

Lucy looked up and suddenly her eyes widened at the sight she saw. Natsu was leaning against the wall across from her and when he saw her, he smiled.

"Yo," he stated while walking towards her.

"N-Natsu?" she whispered, watching him.

"How're you feeling?" he simply asked, looking down at her.

Blinking, she answered. "I'm alright."

He smiled in response and handed her, her bag. "Sorry you didn't get this earlier, mean old lady kicked me out." Natsu grumbled while he scratched his head. Lucy only stared at him response.

"Anyway, lets go to the library! Everyone's waiting for us!" He rebounded, grabbing her hand.

Immediately closing her eyes in response to him grabbing her hand, she found that it wasn't as tight as she expected. It was gentle and soft.

And it made her feel safe and weirdly warm inside.

She expected him to never want to speak to her again and here was, doing the complete opposite and making her feel like a normal human being. Something that she longed for, for quite along time.

Her whole life people seemed to forget that buried deep within her, there was just a human.

He smiled back at her and pulled her along. "Come on!" He said and she found herself running beside him to the library.

Before entering the library to meet up with everyone she stopped him. She didn't know what she was doing but she went with it anyway.

"Thank you," she whispered, looking anywhere but him. "Thank you for not asking" she finished.

When she finally looked at him she saw him looking down at her, with a smile and a slight blush. She didn't remember the blush being there before, but she suddenly felt her own face heat up.

Lucy barely knew him and suddenly her whole world was changing.

"We've all got out demons Luce," he simply stated. She felt her face heat up even more when he called her Luce. "Just know that I'm here if you ever need someone," he softly offered, while looking away and pushing the doors open.

She could feel her eyes prickle a bit.

Nodding her head and quickly rubbing her eyes to get rid of any tears, she followed behind him.

* * *

 **Oh yay I finished my fourth chappy! This is so exciting, I actually did not expect to make it that far with this fic :P**

 **Anyway thank you to everyone who is reading this! Sorry I didn't update yesterday, I got a really bad migraine and because I was fasting, I couldn't take any medicine. So going on my computer was definitely not an option for me. Anyway I hope you guys like this chapter! I decided to start all the NaLu interaction! After the ending things are gonna get better... for a little while muhahahahahaha!**

 **The quote from the top is again by Daughter/Home.**

 **Now to my lovely reviews :)**

 **You guys are all SO SWEET OH MY GOSH I LOVE YOU ALL :D**

 ** _Toastedweirdbrain:_ Wahh I'm so happy you're enjoying this!**

 ** _Miss Fabulous 101:_ I'm happy you like it so far! And here you go, an update! I hope to be providing you with more. And guess we'll have to see... right? **

**_Fairytailanimelover:_ Thank you! And yes I do want to address a lot of problems in my fic, and this is only the tip of it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 ** _Astral Kitty:_ First of all, thank you so much! I actually love TG, it's one of my favorite animes. You may be on to something my fellow avid reader, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see! I have my own little twist for this story. And I hope I got in enough shipping here (of course it's NaLu for me). I want to progress their relationship as the story progresses. I also love your ideas, so don't worry about anything! **

**_Bostontex24:_ Ahh thank you very very much :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'm glad you liked my little hook in in the beginning!**

 **Anyway that's all for reviews! Thank you guys for even reviewing in the first place, ily all!**

 **Hope everyone has had an awesome day so far!**

 **-Mad**


	5. Chapter 5

_"A vial of hope and a vial of pain. In the light they both looked the same. Poured them out on into the world, on every boy and every girl"_

It was now a month since Lucy escaped and slowly, she was becoming herself again. That didn't mean that she was cured, but the mental scars she retained were being washed away.

She was less fidgety around her new friends, she could freely laugh now, without feeling insecure, and the heavy weight on her shoulders was slowly lifting.

The only thing that didn't change was her nightmares. They came every night and Lucy couldn't figure out how to make them stop. The worst part was that majority of them didn't feel like nightmares. They felt like she was reliving everything over and over again. In some ways, she could be considered worse off the more she ignored what happened. But she was determined to forget everything. To move on.

Walking home from work, Lucy breathed in the night air. It was quiet and the moon was bright. Lately, she'd been taking more hours at work realizing that there were quite a few things she needed, like a cellphone. After her friends found out that she didn't have one, they freaked and forced her to go out and buy one. Levy told her which place to go to and which plan to get in order to keep it cheap and simple.

Although, in a way she sort of regretted it because after she was put in their group chat, her phone would not stop ringing. Gray and Natsu were constantly fighting and every now and then Lucy would put the conversation on mute because her phone couldn't take the amount of notifications it was getting.

Like right now, for example.

She sighed as she pulled out her phone and read the messages as they came.

 ** _Natsu:_** GRAY YOU PIECE OF ASS SAY THAT TO MY FACE

 ** _Gray:_** ALREADY HAVE AND I'LL DO IT AGAIN.

 ** _Erza:_** Stop.

 ** _Natsu:_** Yes M'am!

 ** _Gray:_** Aye!

 ** _Levy:_** Thank you Erza, I felt like my head was going to explode.

 _ **Natsu:**_ Hey!

 ** _Gajeel:_** Gihi...

 ** _Juiva:_** Juvia would like to know what we're doing for Halloween this year

 ** _Gray:_ ** Oh yeah! It's this Friday, right?

 ** _Natsu:_** We're handing out candy at my place again this year, right?

A chorus of agreements followed.

Lucy blinked. She totally forgot Halloween was coming up. Locking her phone, she put it back in her pocket. She wasn't going to go with them. Lucy had dodged almost every hang out they've invited her too. Not that Lucy didn't want to go, because she really, really wanted to, but because she felt like she'd be intruding. They only recently met her and they had told her how they had been friends for years. She would just slowly ease herself into their group.

Turning the corner, she could see her apartment building. Lucy always felt so tired after work, but a sort of satisfied tired. She was doing something for herself and no one else was helping her. She stood on her own two feet by herself. She never needed anyone other than herself.

 _'Oh Lucy, everyone needs someone'_ her friend said while suddenly falling into step with her.

"Well, I don't." She mumbled, turning her head away from the shadow.

 _'Whatever you say. Just remember you're destroying your own mind here.'_ he chastised.

Lucy only shrugged in response. If anything, she'd be destroying other people. What a heavy burden to put on someone. To have to listen to someone like her. People had their own problems; they didn't need more.

Entering her building, she made her way up the flight of stairs to her apartment. She avoided using the elevator because of the excessive amount of anxiety she would suddenly get the minute she'd walk on.

Standing against the wall to the left of her door was her shadowy friend.

 _'The elevator would've been faster'_ it groaned. She only shrugged in response and closed the door behind her. Trudging to her room, she flicked on the lights and plopped down onto her bed, face first, and let out a long groan. Her back felt sore along with her feet. Lucy attempted at relieving some of the knots from her shoulders but she inevitably failed. Letting out a sigh she flipped over onto her back and pulled her phone from her bag. The group chat was lively, but it seemed Natsu had messaged her separately a few times.

 ** _Natsu:_** Luuuuccccccccyyyyyyyyy

 _ **Natsu:**_ Why aren't you talking in the group chat?

 ** _Natsu:_** Please don't ignore me...

 ** _Natsu:_** I'm sorry if me and gray were annoying, I just wanna know if you're coming to my house for halloween.

 ** _Natsu:_** Pllllllleeeeeeaaaaaseeeee Luce

 ** _Natsu:_** We can match costumes! Or you can eat all the candy! You don't even have to wear a costume just come overrrrr

Lucy found herself giggling as she scrolled through his messages. Somehow Lucy always found herself smiling at everything Natsu did. Lately, she found herself growing closest with Natsu. He made her feel safe and his smile somehow always brightened her day. As cheesy as it sounds, she just wanted to be near him all the time.

He'd goof off, help her with anything and everything if she asked, defend her in an instant when anyone said anything remotely harsh, and always stayed close to her.

Her favorite thing was seeing his eyes widen a bit every time he saw her, followed by the biggest and most genuine smile she'd ever seen.

Lucy's heart always skipped a beat.

Her phone dinged again and she looked at it.

Natsu: Lucy that's it, I'm forcing you to come.

She rolled her eyes and finally answered him.

* * *

Natsu felt his face heat up as he re-read the message for the hundredth time.

 ** _Luce:_** I wouldn't miss it for the world

It was finally Halloween and he felt like this year was going to be different. He had dressed up as a dragon (again) and had bowls upon bowls of candy, ready to hand out. His friends had decided to stop trick-or-treating around two years ago and began a new tradition filled with horror movies, food, and candy until everyone passed out on his couch.

He sat in his living room waiting for his friends and eating from one of the bowls of candy. His house wasn't too big, but comfy enough for two people. His adoptive father used to live with him, but he had disappeared when he was around eight, leaving Natsu to himself.

The first few years by himself were the loneliest he'd ever had, but Natsu managed. His neighbors, which so happened to be Gray and his family, had helped him out. They'd make sure he ate food and helped him enroll in school. Gray's adoptive mother, Ur, had also helped clean up his house every once in a while.

Natsu would never admit it, but Gray was his first real friend and he loved him like a brother.

Gray would never know that though for the sake of Natsu's pride. Speaking of the icy bastard, he looked up to see his door opening and a shirtless Gray and giggly Juvia dressed as a vampire, walked in.

"Finally, you live like two feet away, you freak." Natsu groaned dramatically as he heaved himself up to greet them.

"You trynna start somethi-" Gray began but Juvia beat him to it.

"Hi Natsu! Juvia loves the costume and candy!" She happily stated, bounding over to grab some candy.

"Thanks, it's totally better than his. He doesn't even have his." Natsu snorted, poking Gray's bare chest. Gray, in response, looked down and gaped at his bare chest, sputtering. He ran out of the house before returning within seconds, while putting his a navy, skin tight shirt on and carrying a white coat.

"For your information, I'm an ice wizard." Gray stated.

"Oh yeah, clearly." Natsu snorted. "Ice wizards are chumps."

"An ice wizard could take your dragon ass any day." Gray threatened, the two now inches away from one another.

"I better not be hearing any fighting." A firm voice stated from the doorway. Natsu and Gray turned their heads slowly to find Erza in her armor and Jellal in a similar getup as Gray. Erza was slowly unsheathing her sword, while Jellal backed away slowly.

The two boys instantly hugged each other, sputtering.

"N-No M'am!"

Erza smiled in response before bounding inside to where Juvia was, clearly not interested in anything but the candy.

"Your girlfriend is terrifying, Jellal." Gray blanched, while Natsu nodded in agreement.

Realizing he was still attached to Gray, Natsu pried himself off, cringing at the fact that they hugged.

"Hey guys!" A voice suddenly said.

Natsu turned around to find Levy in a witch costume peeking out from behind Gajeel, who clearly decided against dressing up.

"Thanks for hosting, salamander." Gajeel gruffly said while entering the house and standing next to him. Levy, like the rest of the girls, bounded over to the candy. They were all giggling on the couch while looking at the movies Natsu picked.

"Natsu, I disagree with your selection. You don't have any movies with swords." Erza sighed.

"Err, we can search Netflix if you want." Natsu said while scratching his head. He just picked a ton of his favorites, in hopes Lucy would like some of them.

Natsu blinked, realizing Lucy wasn't here yet. He pulled out his phone ready to text the blonde when he heard a knock on his door.

Turning on his heel he felt his eyes widen a bit, like they did every time he laid eyes on her.

Lucy timidly walked in, wearing a black, over sized sweatshirt and black leggings. She had white bunny ears on the top of her head, one of them falling over on itself. Her hair was tied in a side braid, with strands falling loose.

He instantly smiled. "Lucy!"

He could see her begin to smile as he bounded over to her to close the door behind her.

"Hey Natsu." She smiled. "I like your dragon costume."

He could feel his face heat up a bit, but he ignored it. She always managed to do that to him and he didn't understand why.

"Good because dragons are the best." Natsu firmly stated while going to play with her bunny ears. He pretended like he didn't notice Lucy flinching a bit when he reached up to the ears on her head. He rubbed one of the long ears between his fingers and smiled.

The first thing Natsu had noticed about Lucy was her flinching habit. Anytime someone came close to touching her, he could see the flash of fear in her eyes, but it was only ever there for a split second. Every time it happened though, Natsu frowned. He hated seeing Lucy hold so much in because he couldn't do anything to help.

"I like these" he mumbled to himself, attention returning back to the bunny ears.

"Be careful Lucy, dragons eat bunnies." Gray snickered from beside Natsu.

"Hey!" He protested.

"Gihi, bunny girl finally showed up." Gajeel stated, now standing beside Lucy.

Instantly all the girls jumped up from the corner. "Lucy!" Levy shouted, running towards the said girl. Natsu moved aside a bit for everyone to have room to see Lucy. He watched as she stepped back a bit when the girls ran towards her, but Lucy smiled bright, making Natsu's heart flutter yet again.

He didn't understand his heart. The only time it ever did this was when he would watch his adoptive father walk in the door.

"I hope you guys are ready for horror movies. And of course handing out candy, but mainly the movies. And food." Natsu cheered in attempt to distract himself from the light feeling inside his chest. He received a chorus of agreements in response.

Everyone made their way over to his couch while he went to go plug in the first movie. It wasn't too old but he knew it scare everyone. When Natsu had first seen the Conjuring, he was sure he'd have to bleach his eyes in order to forget everything.

It's been a few months and he still can't turn off his night light.

Bounding towards the couch, he snuggled his way between Lucy and Gray and pulled a blanket close around him and Lucy. At first she stiffened against him, sitting straight up, but eventually he felt her relax against his shoulder and he smiled to himself. He felt her hesitantly put her head on her shoulder and he re positioned himself to make sure they were comfortable.

"You better not hog all the blankets," Lucy warned him.

"Wah, I would never!" He proclaimed, tugging on the blankets and sticking his tongue out at her.

The movie began playing and suddenly everyone was on edge. Natsu tried his best not to flinch or scream so his friends wouldn't make fun of it, but he was dying inside. He nearly lost it along with Gray when the demon stuck it's hands out of the closet and clapped, pretending to be the daughter.

Every now and then the doorbell would ring and Levy would be the first one up to hand out the candy. Natsu snickered saying she was scared but Levy replied saying that she "was just being a good person." That made no sense to him but he brushed it off.

Through out the movie, Lucy would inch closer and closer. Natsu noticed that she had completely covered herself in the blankets, refusing to watch the movie. Suddenly everyone was screaming at the movie and he felt Lucy shoot up from her spot.

"Y-You kn-know I think I heard th-the doorbell ring." She stuttered and ran to the door. Natsu, feeling like he couldn't stand to watch the movie anymore, got up and followed her.

"Lucy I think we should just stay here and hand out candy." Natsu said, leaning his head against the wall in defeat.

"Agreed." She said before opening the door.

Natsu waited to hear the sound of 'Trick-or-Treat' but it never came. All he heard was the sharp intake of breath and the dropping of the candy bowl.

Immediately he pushed himself up from the wall and walked around the door to Lucy.

He had never seen her so terrified before.

Her eyes had widened in fear and she was shaking. Her hands were still out as if she was still holding the bowl and she seemed to have trouble breathing. He quickly went in front of her and grabbed her face between his hands.

"Luce. Lucy look at me." He whispered to her, searching her eyes for some sort of reaction. It was as if he wasn't in front of her. Natsu felt his chest tighten and he had no clue what to do. He didn't know why she suddenly froze up. Blinking he turned around and chills were sent down his spine.

Standing at the door was a man wearing a white mask. The mask was plain, with a smile stretched across it. There wasn't a nose, only holes for the person to breathe and eye holes to see. And the eyes- they were some of the most lifeless eyes he'd ever seen. Completely empty and black as if the person had no soul. His clothes were tattered and old with bloodstains splattered everywhere.

He pushed Lucy behind him, shielding her from the mans view. He didn't know why Lucy suddenly froze up at the sight of this man, but he could feel chills run down his spine. He wouldn't feel too pleased either if he opened the door to someone like this.

"I'm gonna have to ask you to leave." Natsu firmly stated while glaring him. The mans black eyes flicked towards Natsu before flicking to Lucy.

They stood in silence for who knows how long. Lucy at some point had grabbed the back of his shirt and he could feel her shaking and it made him sick. Suddenly the man bent down and picked up a piece of candy before simply walking away as if he was never there. He slammed the door and locked it before turned around to Lucy.

"Oh mavis." she whispered. She was doubled over now, hugging herself. She kept whispering to herself before letting out a choked sob.

He ran to her and grabbed her arms, trying to push her up right.

"Lucy you're fine. You're fine." He repeated, searching for her eyes. He had no clue as to why she was triggered so badly and all he wanted to do was help but he didn't know how. He felt so angry with himself that he was so helpless.

His mind kept flashing back to the gruesome scars he saw on her back as he watched tears of fear fall down her face.

She pushed herself away from him and gripped her head with both hands.

"Oh Mavis, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. _I'm so sorry._ " she repeated over and over again. He ran towards her again, ignoring how she pushed him away.

His breath stopped as he watched her suddenly start to fall on the ground. Reaching his arm out, he tried to grab her before she hit the ground but he missed by mere inches and watched as she collapsed.

Eyes widening in fear he looked towards the living room while trying to pick Lucy up from the ground. His hands were shaking now and his heart felt like it was going to beat right out of his chest.

 _"SOMEONE CALL 911!"_

* * *

 **Ah hello! How is everyone doing?**

 **Sososososososososoooo sorry it took me so long to update! I've been really really bus these past two weeks :c! Anyway I hope everyone enjoys this chappy :D! I'm really sorry it's a bit short, I promise these chapters will eventually get longer and I promise I think my writing will get better as well. Thank you to those who put up with my grammar mistakes and terrible writing every now and then xD**

 **Anyway the quote at the top is by Arcade fire (my favorite band btw)**

 **Looks like things are finally picking up for Lucy and Natsu... but what does this little encounter mean?! MUAHAHAHAHA! Guess we'll just have to wait and see!**

 **I love you all!**

 **-Mad**


	6. Chapter 6

_"Oh we've made a mistake. We've lost our minds. We've lost our memories."_

 _How long had it been since she went missing? Was this day 35? or wait... 36 days?_

 _Lucy sat in the corner of the dark room, hand shackled to the wall. He hadn't been down in a week and Lucy was running out of the water he had left for her. She lost track of time and her mind refused to let her sleep. Lucy kept wondering if anyone was looking for her or if anyone noticed she went missing. Doubting that her father would notice, she hoped one of the servants around the house or her tutor would have said something. It was a slim chance because she wasn't supposed to even be alive, but she secretly hoped that someone cared enough about her._

 _Shifting in her spot, she patted the ground looking for the water bottle he left. Her throat felt sore and scratchy because of how much she screamed and her head wouldn't stop pounding. She was sure there was a cut but because of how dark it was, she couldn't tell. So far, all he had done to her was beat her senseless whenever he came down. At one point she had given up on trying to fight back knowing it was useless. Every time she asked him why he'd done this, he'd just laugh and ignore her pleading requests to answer some of her questions. The only thing he'd answer was the date but he didn't come down daily and her sense of time was screwed up._

 _Shivering, Lucy pulled her bare legs closer. Her skirt was all tattered and her button down didn't look any better, the two pieces of clothing acting as mere cover instead of actually keeping her warm. Leaning her head against the wall she tried, yet again, to search for something that would reveal her captors identity. She'd never seen his face because of the mask that he wore. He never took it off and he always wore a hood._

 _His eyes were the only thing that her memory could conjure up and she silently cursed herself for not being able to find anything. Granted he was always hurting her in some way she she was constantly distracted, but it didn't excuse her inability to gain some ground in her situation. Her father would probably yell at her for being like this._

 _That made her laugh. Here she was on the brink of death and her fathers disapproving words always found their way into her mind. Hell, she was actually fucking kidnapped. She was literally being beaten almost every day and she had no idea if she was every going to see the sun ever again._

 _The first week she was down here she thought that maybe this was a game to him and so she tried to conjure up a pattern of some sort. She tried to see if there was anything specific that he did or said but after a while she realized there wasn't._

 _It was just pure, sadistic enjoyment._

 _Suddenly the door opened and she hissed as the light flooded in. Lucy turned her head away from the light and waited for the door to close._

 _Instinctively she tried back up into the corner even more, hoping she'd just eventually seep into it and find some sort of shelter, but she knew that wasn't ever going to happen. She listened to his footsteps and turned to look at him. She flinched when she realized how close her was to her, mask mere inches away from her faces. His eyes bore into her face and Lucy felt herself begin to shake._

 _Immediately she grabbed her wrist and tried to calm herself. Lucy refused to let him see her fear. Her fear is what fueled him at times and she decided if she was going to survive, he wasn't going to let him break her mind._

 _He dropped a few pieces of bread next to her on the floor and it took Lucy everything she had in her not to grab them right then and there. Like she did every time he brought her something to eat, she'd wait until he left. He never gave her anything big or healthy, just a few scraps and left overs._

 _Flicking her eyes back up to meet his she watched as reached forward and roughly grabbed her chin._

 _"Oh Lucy, you're starting to look pale." He sarcastically stated._

 _Lucy didn't respond._

 _"The silent treatment, huh." He said, mostly to himself. He then forcefully shoved her back against the wall using the hand that was around her jaw. Lucy bit her tongue in order to keep quiet. Her head had slammed the wall but she was going to let him know that._

 _He started pacing the room and Lucy watched him closely, never taking her eyes off of him. She needed to watch him if she was going to stay alive. Everything little thing he says and does._

 _Stopping, he turned to face her. Striding toward her, he grabbed her by the throat and pushed her to her feet. Shutting her eyes immediately after he grabbed her throat she tried to even her breathing. It was erratic and loud._

 _Lucy forced herself to open her eyes. His grip around her throat wasn't as tight anymore and he didn't seem like he he was going to hit her. Lucy silently wondered if she was a normal 12 year old girl. Normally a girl her age would have screamed and cried at this point, but Lucy didn't feel the need to. Yeah she was scared, but there was nothing she could do at this point except stay alive._

 _"I think I'd like to try something new." He suddenly said. Lucy gulped and watched as his free hand started unbuttoning her shirt._

 _In that moment her resolve broke and her mind snapped._

 _"S-stop." Her raspy voice pleaded while her body began to shake. She knew where this was going but she never expected him to be this heartless._

 _Her pleads were useless so she tried to push him off but she was too weak. Nonetheless she kept trying to fight._

 _She wasn't going to give in without a fight._

* * *

Lucy's eyes fluttered open and she looked around the room. She could feel hot tears threatening to spill as she recalled her dream again. It was more a memory than a dream but that was the day Lucy hated the most. Bringing her hand up, she covered her mouth to keep from She felt like she wanted to puke every time her mind remembered that day.

Suddenly feeling troubled, Lucy realized she couldn't remember anything or why she was asleep.

Mentally slapping herself, she realized she was in a hospital yet again. She examined her body to see if she was in any pain, before she sat up. Satisfied that she seemed fine, she pushed herself up and looked around the room. She was in the same hospital room she was in last time except instead of the empty room she woke up to last time, this time it was filled with people.

Her friends to be specific.

Some of them were asleep in the chairs that were around the room and she found Gajeel and Gray sleeping on the floor with their backs against the wall. Natsu however, was sitting in a chair next to her, with his head lying down on the edge of the bed next to her arm. She felt her face heat up and suddenly everything that just happened escaped her mind.

He was dressed in his Halloween costu-

Her eyes widened when she realized what happened. She was at his house for Halloween, along with everyone else. Looking at everyone, she realized they all had their costumes on. She, however, was in a hospital gown.

Bringing her hand up to grip her head, she closed her eyes and let everything settle in.

He was a mere two feet away from her.

He had found her.

He was at _Natsu's house._

Lucy felt her stomach flip. This was not happening. She was so stupid. She was so so _so_ stupid. Lucy had put everyone in danger. That monster knows where Natsu lives and probably knows about everyone else. He's probably been watching her this whole time. That day in school- she wasn't going crazy.

Lucy wanted to puke.

She was so consumed with her thoughts that she didn't see Natsu wake up until she felt him pry open her hand, which was gripping the sheets, and lace his fingers with hers. She snapped her head to look at Natsu and felt her eyes soften.

He was rubbing his eyes with his free hand and yawning. The one holding her hand was firm and warm and she found herself tightening her grip in return. Natsu's eyes finally found hers and she felt her heart flutter.

"Natsu," she breathed.

Smiling he returned her grip. "How're you feelin' Luce?"

"I'm alright." She lied with a tight voice.

As if he knew she was lying, he frowned and furrowed his brows. "Please don't lie." He whispered.

Suddenly she felt guilty. He looked so worried and tired. They all did.

"How long was I out for?" She asked, dodging his statement and looking anywhere but him.

'Have fun trying to get out of this one' he suddenly said, sitting on her windowsill. She glared her shadow friend, cursing his terrible timing.

"Two days." he began, "Lucy, what happened?" he asked quietly, tightening his grip on her hand and trying to get her to look at him.

Lucy opened her mouth trying to find the words to answer him but she couldn't. She didn't know how to tell him. How to tell him that she was in some sadistic bastards basement for four years or that she didn't know if her father was alive or that she was the reason everyone was in danger now.

"I-" she began but someone cut her off.

"Lu-cy?" Gray said while getting up from his spot on the floor. He rubbed his eyes and then walked over to sit on the edge of her bed. "Hey, how do you feel?" he asked while scratching his head.

"I'm-" but she was cut off yet again.

"LUCY" Levy yelled before jumping on the bed. Lucy let out a squeak and let go of Natsu's hand to steady the blue haired girl. Levy threw herself around Lucy while Lucy awkwardly tried not to collapse on the bed.

"Oh my god I was so worried! Natsu said you just collapsed after handing out candy to one of the neighborhood kids." Levy quickly said, while pulling back to examen Lucy's face.

Blinking she glanced at Natsu, realizing he hadn't told them about him. She gave him a small smile and he nodded his head slightly.

Suddenly, everyone seemed to be awake and crowding around her bed, asking her what happened and if she was okay. She assured all of them that she was fine but even she could hear how forced it sounded coming from her mouth.

"I-I'm fine." She repeated, quieter this time. She looked down at her hands and gripped the bed sheets once again.

 _"I'm fine."_ She whispered before letting out a whimper. She didn't deserve any of these people. They were all too kind to be around someone like her and Lucy felt so guilty for getting them involved in her mess. She tried so hard live out the rest of her life alone but things were out of her control.

She didn't want to cry in front of everyone so she hugged herself, bending over and pulling her knees up to her face to try and bury her face.

She needed to separate herself from them. Show him that she was never friends with them. Maybe he'd leave them alone if she wasn't with them. He'd just go after her then.

"Lu-" but she cut whoever tried to talk off.

 _"Go."_ She whispered. "Please, just go home."

No one moved as they listened to her dry sobs. "Please, please, just go home and get some rest." She repeated, louder this time. Lucy wouldn't meet any of their eyes, refusing to see how betrayed they most likely looked.

A hand suddenly grabbed one of hers. "We will not leave you." It was Erza who spoke. "You are our friend, one of us. Whatever it is that you're going through, we will not abandon you." She firmly stated.

"If you think we're just gonna go, then you've got another thing coming." Gajeel stated from behind them. "Like Erza said, you're one of us. Like hell we're just gonna let you sit here when you're hurtin'."

Lucy felt her lip quiver. How could she have been so lucky to end up with such amazing people?

She rubbed her eyes and looked at everyone. They were all smiling at her- Levy was wiping away some tears along with Juvia- and none of them looked hurt or angry. She let out a sigh and looked towards Natsu, who was reaching out his hand for her to grab. She took it and laced her fingers with his.

 _'Tell them. Now.'_ the voice in her head pleaded.

Gulping, she closed her eyes and let the words flow.

"My real name is Lucy Heartfilia," she began. She heard a few gasps while Natsu's hand gripped hers tighter.

"Heartfilia... as in the famous Heartfilia Konzern?" Levy quietly asked. Lucy nodded in response.

"I didn't know Jude and Layla had a daughter," Jellal commented. At the sound of her mother's name Lucy felt her stomach churn but she ignored the feeling anyway.

"After my mother died, my father... he changed. He shut himself up in his office and decided to hide me from the world for whatever awful reason," she continued. "I never attended a school so I had a private tutor and by the time I was 12, I was studying at the level of a college graduate. I was never allowed to leave the house and the only friends I had were the house servants."

"So one day I was feeling, I don't know, angry? I wanted to go read in the park so badly. So so so badly. I hated reading in my room and I wanted to be around other people- new people." Her voice cracked and she could feel tears threatening to spill but she held them back. "And so I snuck out of my house and ran to the nearest park. I was so happy I did something for myself for once that I was too blind to see a man standing by the tree, watching me." Her voice felt tight and so she closed her eyes to keep from looking at anyone.

"I s-sat down on one of the benches and began reading. _It was such a nice day out._ " She whispered. She felt herself shake. Telling others this for the first time made her feel unsafe. Her trust in people was so little and she was so scared it would be broken again.

"I d-don't r-really remember what happened after that. The next thi-thing I knew I was waking up in a dark basement with my hand shackled to some chains." A tear slipped down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away. She pulled her bandage wrist out of Natsu's hand and started unwrapping her bandage. She needed to show them that this was real. She needed to convince not only them, but herself that she wasn't crazy.

She held up her fleshy wrist with the scars reaching from mid hand to mid forearm.

"This happened l-last month. When I finally managed to escape." Lucy whispered before putting her arm back down.

She heard a choked sob and gasps and her stomach started to flip.

"T-That would mean... _Four years?_ " Erza breathed. Lucy numbly nodded.

Lucy didn't tell them about the abuse or the starvation and she sure as hell was not going to tell them about a few other things. They didn't need to know the horrifying details.

"On Halloween, he came to Natsu's house." The tears were streaming now because this was the part she hated most. "I-I'm s-so sorry." she hiccuped, "If I had told s-someone may-maybe this wouldn't have h-happened."

Natsu was now sitting on the bed next to her. He cupped her face in his hands and began wiping her tears away. "You have nothing to apologize for," he stated.

"B-But if, if I had said something sooner he wouldn't have seen you all. I thought one-once I escaped it would be over," she choked out. Her eyes widened in fear when she realized it wasn't even close to being over.

"Lucy this is not your fault." Levy whimpered, crawling up beside her and Natsu. She ignored everyone's protests to her apologies. If any of them got hurt because of her, she didn't know what she'd do.

"I can't- _no._ I won't let anything happen to you guys." Lucy stated before covering her mouth with her hand to try and stifle her sobs.

Suddenly Levy was hugging Lucy and Natsu was gripping her hand. Everyone was watching and Lucy felt so vulnerable as she let her tears fall.

"And you can bet we won't let anything happen to you either." Gray said firmly, causing Lucy to cry even harder.

* * *

Lucy flicked on the lights to her apartment and closed the door. She wanted to just jump into her shower so badly. She had been asleep for two days and her hair was starting to look greasy. She threw her jacket on the table along with her bag and started taking off her shoes.

"Hello, Lucy." A cold voice welcomed.

Lucy felt her heart stop as she turned to face the voice. Taking in a sharp breath, she looked at her captor sitting on her window ledge as he watched her. He had the same mask and clothes on as when she saw him at Natsu's. His soulless eyes bore into her as he lazily stood from his position.

She stumbled back as she had done many times before and tried to push herself into a corner, trying to seep into the wall to find shelter.

Of course that never worked.

Reaching for her bag, she attempted to grab her phone to call someone. Her hands were shaking so badly that she was unable to pick anything up, dropping her bag instead of holding it.

Within seconds he was standing in front of her. He towered over her and suddenly flashes from her worst days ran through her mind. She didn't know what to do. Lucy had no clue as to how he managed to enter her house or how he'd known where she lived. Her mind raced through everything he could possibly know and Lucy wanted to double over. Her stomach was not on her side today.

"Nice place," he began. Lucy could only stare in horror as he reached out and grabbed her throat, tightly, and laugh. "God, do you know how easy it was for me to break in here?"

Her shaky hands tried to pry his away from her throat but she felt weak.

He leaned in close and suddenly she could feel his hot breath next to her ear. "Do you know how much easier it would be for me to break into your little friends houses?"

Lucy's eyes widened in fear as she stared out the window from behind him at the bright city. She felt like crawling in a hole and hiding forever.

"D-Don't you h-hurt th-them." She tried to threaten but her voice came out weaker than she expected, breath erratic and short.

The man only started laughing. "Oh no no no Lucy. You've got it all backwards," he began.

"You're the one I wanna break." He finished. She again attempted to pry his hands away from her throat but she failed.

"I won't do anything with you... for now. Just know that you belong to me." He said before releasing his hold and letting her fall to ground, gasping for air and coughing. She placed a hand on her throat as she lay on the ground trying to reach for something that could help her.

"Eventually, you'll be with me again." He simply stated before closing the door behind him and leaving Lucy on the floor. She couldn't stop herself from coughing and she knew she needed help as soon as possible. She couldn't function properly, mind too focused on how much fear she was feeling.

Managing to pick herself up she grabbed her purse and threw open the door. There was no way she was staying alone for the rest of the night. Coughing, she flew out onto the street and made her way down to a house not too far away from hers. It was pouring out but Lucy didn't really care, she just needed to find a safe place.

Reaching the house, she banged on the door and leaned against the wall, trying to catch her breath.

After a few moments a sleepy Natsu threw open the door and she watched as his eyes widened in fear.

"Hey Natsu," her raspy voice stated before she stumbled into his arms.

* * *

 **EEP! Hello everyone :)**

 **I have another chapter for all you faithful readers :D**

 **This one's a bit longer than the last and I really hoped you enjoyed this one. Wow a lot happened in this chapter... From here on out things will be slower so I have more time to explain, but I really wanted to get everyone finding out about Lucy and her captor ASAP. Thank you all so much for reviewing and reading. The reviews make my heart happy because you guys are happy about my work and gah I can't believe people actually like reading my stuff :o**

 **Oh yeah the quote is from _Two Door Cinema Club/Are We Ready (Wreck)_**

 **I hope everyone has had a lovely day.**

 **-Mad**


	7. Chapter 7

_"A pure love unrehearsed"_

Lucy burrowed herself deeper into the blanket Natsu had given her. Happy had found his way into her lap and was currently helping her keep her cup of tea from spilling everywhere. Natsu was sitting across from her on the couch with his own blanket and drink. Instead of tea though, he had a cup of coffee.

When Lucy had stumbled into his house he immediately rushed her into the bathroom to take a shower. She was soaking wet and he told her a hot bath would help. She wasn't complaining but she ended up feeling embarrassed after realizing she'd have to use Natsu's clothes which consisted of the best sweat pants she'd ever had the pleasure of wearing and one of his black sweatshirts she'd seen him wear multiple times.

He had wanted to make sure she was as warm as possible which she was perfectly okay with to be quite honest.

So here she was, sitting in Natsu's living room at three in the morning. She looked around his living room, taking in everything. It was a medium sized room with two worn out couches and a TV above the fireplace. The windows that lined the wall were being covered by long curtains that reached the floor and there were photographs.

Lots of photographs.

Most of them were of him and everyone else she'd come to know over the past month but among them were some of Natsu as a small child with an older man. She couldn't really see him clearly, but when her eyes landed on a photo of a man smiling at the camera sitting on the fire place ledge she realized who he was. He had dark red hair and was just as tan as Natsu. He had a more muscular built, but their smiles were the exact same. That's kinda how she figured out that this man was his dad. The happiness seeping through his smile was as pure as his sons.

"That's my dad, Igneel." Natsu suddenly said bringing Lucy out of her thoughts. She looked over at him as he stared at the picture. He had brought his knees up to his chest and lazily draped his arms over them while he displayed the saddest smile she'd ever seen on him.

"Well, not my real dad. My adoptive dad. After I was born my real parents died in a car accident, leaving me to the foster system" he began. Lucy listened, eyes fixated on the photograph. She wasn't going to deny that she was shocked they weren't related considering how much they looked alike, but she was beginning to see a few features that didn't match. "I think I was in the foster system... 3 years? I was moved around a lot. I didn't really have the best homes but I didn't really care."

"A few other things happened but that doesn't really matter because I ended up with Igneel," he proudly stated. Lucy felt a warmth in her chest as she listened to him talk about his dad. It filled her with hope to hear that good people existed. That fathers, biological or not, loved their kids.

"Where's Igneel now?" she found herself asking, wanting to know more about the boy sitting in front of her.

"He... He's missing." Natsu simply stated. She flicked her eyes towards him as she felt a sinking feeling in her chest. He still had his sad smile and suddenly Lucy felt hot tears threatening to spill. A long silence filled the space between them, neither of them wanting to say much of anything.

"I-If you don't mind me asking, but what happened?" she finally asked with a whisper. She didn't trust her voice and she certainly didn't want to break down in front of him.

He only shrugged in response. "You're guess is as good as mine. I was ten when I woke up to find him missing."

Her chest continued to tighten as she watched him.

"But one day, I'll find him. He's out there. I know it." He firmly said. She looked at him and she found herself smiling along at him. His eyes were filled with so much determination that it gave her hope. The nights events had totally left her mind. She didn't care what happened to her a few hours ago. In a way, she was happy it was Natsu who she went to for help.

"I believe you." She confessed, looking back at the picture. And it was true. She truly believed he would find his dad. There was no way a person with that much determination and hope wouldn't find his dad.

Lucy also found herself wanting to help him in his search for his dad. There was so much purpose and spirit emitting from him and suddenly the sadness she felt before was no longer there. "Natsu," she began looking at him. He looked backed at her while leaning his head to one side, waiting for her to continue. "Let me help you look for your dad. I want to help."

His face suddenly changed. Natsu was now grinning ear to ear and she'd never seen him look so happy. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." She answered firmly.

"Awesome! I'm fired up now! With your help we'll definitely find him." He was suddenly standing, pumping his fists in the air and Lucy found herself smiling and laughing along with him. He looked down at her and Lucy couldn't help but notice the small tint of pink in his cheeks. She just hoped he couldn't notice hers.

After a bit of them laughing, he sat back down on the floor against the table and looked at her. "Not that I'm mad that you're here at three in the morning, because totally come over whenever, but why are you here, Lucy. Is everything okay?" The happy demeanor he had earlier vanished, replaced by a more serious one. There was no mistaking how worried he was right now.

Lucy quickly looked away. She didn't really know if she should tell him of what happened a mere few hours ago. Really, things were going great right now without her having a freak out, should she bring it up? But if she didn't and something happened to her, everyone would get mad.

She started to pet happy, wanting to avoid the question for as long as she possible could, which wasn't very long. She knew Natsu was just going to stare her down until she said something and she could slowly feel herself cracking under his stare.

"Lucy," Natsu said with that, that voice. The voice that always gets her. The 'tell me everything because I'm amazing and I will keep you safe' voice. She sighed and dropped her head in her hands.

"He was there." She whispered. That's right, her home is no longer safe. Nothing is safe and she has no clue what to do. Pulling happy close to her she let out another sigh. Things were finally getting better and here she was probably ruining everything.

Something suddenly changed. Lucy could actually feel the air thicken. The happy vibe she was getting earlier was definitely not there anymore. She looked to where Natsu was sitting and felt her eyes widen a bit. His hands were balled into fists and eyes covered by his hair. She could visibly see him shaking and his mouth had turned into a scowl. "D-Did he hurt you?" His voice sounded thin and she definitely didn't miss the hint of violence.

She looked back down at happy before moving a hand to her throat. There was a bruise but it didn't hurt as much as she expected. That wasn't what bothered her though. It was the reoccurring feeling of not being able to breathe. It was a terrible feeling that she could never shake off. The air was all around her, but it would never enter her lungs. And her lungs- oh how they'd burn and sting, begging for release. What's even worse than that is knowing just how weak she is because she could never fight for her air whenever he was around her.

A gentle touch on the hand she was using to touch the bruises on her neck brought her out of her thoughts. Snapping her head up, she watched as Natsu scrunched his face and moved the hood of the sweatshirt she was wearing to get a better look. "Oh Lucy," he whispered. All she could do was stare as he struggled to find the words to comfort her. With that said, she didn't want him to say anything. Him just visibly caring for her, that was everything to Lucy. She'd never seen this affection given to her before and it made her feel warm. His face was mere inches away from hers, feeling his hot breathe fan over her face

Almost her entire life she was deprived of having someone to care for her. She was deprived of a friend.

Lucy could feel something inside her click as she stared at Natsu's worried face.

 _'I'm pretty sure that warm fuzzy feeling you have is what it feels like to let somebody in.'_ Her mind sang. Well, she wasn't thinking it but her little friend sure was.

Suddenly Natsu closed his eyes and leaned his head against hers, while gripping her hand. "Lucy, he'll _never_ hurt you again." He said, breaking any sort of resolve she previously had.

"This, I promise you."

* * *

"G-guys you can't be serious right now" Lucy stammered from her place on the floor.

"What, you scared?" Gray snickered from beside her while poking her cheek. She swatted his hand away and glared at him.

"N-no." She mumbled nervously while looking away. She totally lied of course. Lucy was currently terrified. The four idiots- Gray, Natsu, Gajeel, and Jellal -had somehow managed to find a Ouija board, a creepy and old Ouija board, and now everyone was currently sitting on the floor of Lucy's apartment with the lights turned off. It was late at night and Lucy wanted to blow a gasket because she was finally managing to get some sleep before they all managed to break into her house (she should really get a better lock system) and wake her up. She was in the sweatpants Natsu had given to her and a pink short sleeved shirt that covered her back scars. Her hair was in the messiest bun she had ever seen and she could barely see straight.

An arm suddenly found it's way around her shoulders and Lucy lazily glanced over to find Natsu in similar sweatpants and his black hoodie. "Nah, she's tough as nails." Natsu defended while glaring Gray. Lucy internally laughed. If only he knew how much she wanted to shit her pants right now.

She hated scary things, especially trying to contact spirits. And why, of all places, did it have to be her house. Why not Erza's or something? She's got a ton of weapons to protect her. Lucy only has a couch. Literally.

"Lucy your apartment is so plain." Levy complained from across her. "Although, the view you have is absolutely amazing."

"Thanks?" Lucy replied, unsure if she should accept it as a compliment or not.

"Ugh, bunny girl do you have any drinks or snacks at all?" Gajeel whined from in the kitchen. Lucy only sighed.

"No, but I can order us a pizza and ask for some drinks if you'd like." Lucy grumbled, wiggling her way out of Natsu's warm hold, which she really didn't want to do.

A chorus of thanks were heard through out the room as Lucy walked away. She groaned as she grabbed her credit card and phone from inside her purse. She never wanted anyone to come over. At all. There was literally nothing interesting in her house except for the view, which she was okay with. Hell, she didn't even have a TV yet, which she was probably going to get soon considering how everyone was probably going to break in again.

After calling in for a pizza she made her way back into the living room to take her unsaid spot next to Natsu. She stopped dead in her tracks though when she saw Erza and Juvia lighting candles around everyone. Where the hell did they even get those? She doesn't remember even owning a candle, much less a lighter for them to ignite them with. And there were lots of candles too.

"Guys can we please not do this at three in morning." Lucy blanched while gripping her hands together.

If her house becomes haunted, she'd never forgive any of them.

Everyone seemed to ignore her comment as they continued to set up the Ouija board and get in the mood to summon Mavis knows what.

"Did you order cheese?" Jellal asked from his spot next to Erza.

"Yes." she breathed out, sitting down next to Natsu, who immediately brought his arms back around her shoulders, pulling her close.

"Thanks for getting us food!" He happily stated, snuggling her like he was five years old.

"N-No problem." She stuttered, silently cursing herself by getting worked up by his closeness. She should be used to it by now considering how he was constantly attached to her. She never minded though because she enjoyed his company just as much, as she hoped, he did.

Everyone was sitting down around the Ouija board now and suddenly Lucy felt a chill run down her spine. Oh Mavis what kind of sick people wanted to summon a ghost?

"Alright everyone put two fingers from each hand on the planchette." Levy firmly stated.

"The what?" Gray said, dumbfounded by the new word. Levy only rolled her eyes.

"The piece of wood you use to talk with, you dumb ass." She responded.

"Hey! I didn't know it had a name!" Gray tried to defend himself, but everyone ignored him. Lucy felt bad for him.

Reluctantly Lucy did so along with everyone else. She looked around to see everyone focused and staring at Levy who had her eyes closed. Unsure of what was happening, she was ready to call out Levy's name before her eyes snapped open.

"Is there a spirit among us?" She called out. Lucy's breath caught her in throat and she tried to calm her nerves. This was not happening. This. Was. Not. Happening.

Her eyes widened in horror as she watched the planchette under all their fingers move towards _'yes'._

"G-guys c-cut i-it out." Lucy whimpered in fear.

"Shh." Levy snapped, glaring Lucy. Lucy just stared at her, scared out of her mind that any of this was happening. Lucy literally just wanted to sleep.

"Oh spirit, what is your name?" Levy asked, concentrated.

And as if on cue, the piece of wood moved yet again. She heard a few gasps but Lucy wasn't concerned with that. She watched in awe and horror as the words flew from one letter to the other, spelling out a name.

 _Acnologia._

"Spirit named Acnologia, are you a good spirit?" Levy continued. Lucy stared as the piece did not move. They all waited several minutes before Levy spoke again.

"Are you a bad spirit?"

The piece suddenly lurched toward the word yes and Lucy felt her stomach drop and all she wanted to do was hide in a corner.

"I'll fight his ass." Natsu suddenly stated looking around the room. "Come out ghost! Or are you afraid of me?"

"Oh my Mavis don't." Lucy pleaded, trying to get Natsu to not pick a fight with a ghost.

Lucy wanted to cry.

"Shh!" Levy hushed vigorously.

"Are you going to hurt us?" Juvia suddenly blurted out and Lucy stared at the blue haired girl in horror. These people were crazy. They're all crazy. Lucy cannot be friends with them anymore. She befriended a ton of psychos.

The piece of wood began to move and Lucy never felt like she wanted to puke so badly before.

It rested on the word _'yes'._

Lucy immediately pulled her hands back. "Nope. No more. I'm done." Her voice was unusually high and she stood up, shaking.

"Lucy don't take your finger-" Levy began but she was cut off. All the candles suddenly shut off, leaving everyone in complete darkness.

 _"What the fuck?"_ Gajeel shouted from somewhere and Lucy was on the verge of having a panic attack.

From somewhere in the room, Levy spoke. "If you take your hands off before you can tell the ghost goodbye, it's able to stay in our world forever, specifically in your home Lu."

Lucy gripped her hair. That's it. She hated them. She hated them all. Lucy was now going to be haunted for the rest of her sad and lonely life. Not only did she have a psychopath hunting her down like an animal, but now she had a ghost.

Her breathing began to quicken and she stumbled back, away from her friends and into the corner. "This is not happening right now." She whispered in fear.

"Luce?" She heard a familiar voice call out. She turned her head towards the voice, looking for that sense of safety she loved so much.

Suddenly the candles light back on again and she stared at her group of friends.

Her giggling group of friends.

They were all smiling at her, hands over their mouths trying to laugh. Natsu on the other hand had a scowl plastered across his face. Lucy only stared at them, blinking away hot tears.

"Y-You should see your face!" Gray suddenly said, laughing out loud. Lucy felt so confused. Everyone was laughing. Why were they laughing? She just found out her house is going to be haunted and they were laughing? This wasn't a jok-

It was a joke. Lucy suddenly felt her blood boiling. They almost gave her a panic attack and they were laughing?

Lucy was going to kill them all, starting with a certain raven haired boy.

She stormed her way over, tears still threatening to spill. "This isn't funny!" She stated, stomping her foot on the ground. This seemed to make everyone laugh even more at her for some reason. It only made her blood boil even more. "Explain. Now."

"Well," Levy began, but it was hard for her to continue because of how hard she was laughing.

"Basically we all tricked you. There's no ghost, we promise." Erza began more calmly. "I'm sorry Lucy, I didn't think you'd get scared so easily."

Lucy sputtered. "B-but the candles!"

"They're not real candles. They have a weird timer thing you can set for it to go on and off whenever you want." Gajeel said picking one of them up.

"W-where did you even..." Lucy began but she knew it was pointless. She was no longer angry but she sure as hell felt defeated.

And a bit embarrassed. She should've known it was all a joke. They were practically all scared out of their minds when they watched the conjuring. Hell, Levy's more of a scardy cat than herself. Now that she thought about it, it was a little funny, but she couldn't shake off the nervous feeling she still had.

Sighing, she slumped her way back over to wear Natsu was sitting- still scowling -and leaned against him, not even caring anymore about personal space. This was Natsu and there was nothing to be afraid of. Period.

Everyone continued to laugh and talk but Natsu stayed quiet. Low enough for only him to hear she asked, "you alright?"

"I think I should be asking you that." He responded just as quiet.

"Why's that?" she responded a little confused. He let out a little chuckle before responding.

"Mavis, you're too much." He continued, making the poor blonde even more confused than she was before. "Sorry about scaring you, I should've warned you I guess."

She blinked. Once. Twice. He was worried about her? She had to admit it was a little funny that they scared her like that and no harm was really done, so she didn't understand why he seemed so worried. She didn't know how to respond so she decided just to shrug against his shoulder.

A shrill ring brought her out of her thoughts, forcing her to move away from Natsu and to the door. "Foods here!" She called out, walking to the door. A few cheers were heard and Lucy only rolled her eyes as she pulled open the door.

The smell of pizza wafted into her nose and she felt her own stomach grumble. She was so happy a 24 hour pizza place existed in Magnolia.

"Just a signature here will do." The man said after she took the food and placed it inside really quickly. Lucy reached for the pen and paper but not before taking a glance at the man. He had his black hair pulled back in a pony tail with strands framing his face. And _his eyes._ His eyes were so empty. Black and empty and filled with no emotion at all, unwavering.

 _He_ suddenly flashed before her eyes. A quick memory of him wearing his white mask took the place of the delivery man.

Lucy stumbled back a bit before he vanished and it was still the same pizza delivery guy. Quickly shaking her head she grabbed the pen and paper. She was really losing it now. The poor guy probably was just tired and that's why his eyes were like that. Here she was making a big deal out of everything. But something- something about this man was off. Something was wrong.

Handing everything back she bid him and goodbye and went to close the door. If she had closed it any faster she wouldn't have heard his small comment that shook her whole body.

"See you soon." Was all she could hear. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Yeah, she was probably going to order pizza again, but did he have to say it like that? Lucy blinked, trying to shake the terrible feeling that was now settling in her chest away.

Everyone had surrounded the food, scarfing everything down without her but she didn't entirely care. She wasn't hungry anymore. Who was that man? And why did she feel like she was suffocating all of the sudden.

Lucy hated how paranoid she got sometimes.

 _'You know exactly who that was, Lucy.'_ The shadow stated, standing in front of her. She only stared in response.

Oh yes, Lucy knew. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she definitely knew, she just didn't want to believe it. Lucy knew him like the back of her hand. Every slight movement, every thought, and every glance. But for some reason she doubted herself. He would never show his face to her. The mask was always present.

"Luce? You gonna eat?" Natsu quietly and suddenly asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Blinking she opened her mouth to speak but no words could come out. She was not going to eat, that's for sure.

Without thinking she blurted out the first thought that came to mind. "C-Can you all stay the rest of th-the night?" She sounded scared and she felt small by asking that. They all looked back at her, before Gray pointed out a pile of bags with pillows and blankets in the corner of the room that she had not noticed before.

"We were already planning on it." Gray stated with a mouth full of food. Lucy blinked, the suffocating feeling leaving her completely.

Lucy suddenly found herself laughing and she made her way to everyone else, Natsu following close behind.

"Thank you guys"

* * *

"How's your neck?" Natsu softly spoke from his place across from her. Lucy was sitting on the wall opposite of him as the two sat on the ledge. He watched her carefully as she drank her tea and stared out the window. Everyone was on the floor sleeping but he had decided to stay up with her for a bit knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep.

It'd been a week since she stumbled into his house and he hadn't had the chance to check up on her and how she was feeling. When he looked at her neck earlier the bruises were fading and that made him feel a bit better. Lately he hadn't been getting much sleep in fear he'd wake up not to find her with him the next day. Watching her go home alone after school everyday was like a stab to his heart and he hated how he couldn't be with her every second of every day.

She was too good for the world. Too good for him and the wretched life she's had.

She looked at him and smiled. "It's getting better."

His heart jumped a bit at her smile. Even though it was dark, he could still see the faint smile, telling him everything was okay. He looked back out the window and watched magnolia. It was breath taking, being able to see everything.

"I'm happy that I met you, Natsu." She suddenly said, causing him to snap his head in her direction. She wasn't looking at him but he didn't care.

This girl was going to be the death of him.

* * *

 **Hello hello hello! How is everyone doing!**

 **I am so so so so so so sorry for uploading this so late. I've had really bad writers block and this is kind of just a filler chappy I know :(**

 **But the real fun starts next chapter! I think!**

 **Anyway thank you guys so much for the reviews, they're all incredible. Absolutely incredible. I'm so happy to have such amazing people interested in my boring fic.**

 **Anyway the quote at the top is from Hoziers new song, _Better Love._**

 **I HOPE EVERYONE HAS A GREAT DAY**

 **-Mad**


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